Why Am I So Tired When I Wake Up?

When we go to sleep we expect to wake up the next morning refreshed and energized to take on the day. This doesn’t always happen though, so if you’re wondering ‘why am I so tired when I wake up?’, keep reading on because in this article we will be looking at the reasons for this, and ideas on how you can improve the quality of your sleep.

Why Do We Sleep?

Sleeping is a vital activity that gives our bodies some time to unwind and relax after a busy day. Your muscles and cells take the opportunity to recover and repair, and your brain uses this time to process the information it has collected. This needs to happen every day to be able to function properly, so to encourage this our bodies release various chemicals that make us feel awake or, conversely, make us feel tired.

Some become more concentrated, and some are reduced, all of which results in us feeling tired. When we sleep these chemicals are re-balanced so, in the morning, we wake up without any of the sleep inducing ones and, instead, are full of the neurotransmitters that make us feel energetic for the day ahead.

Sleep Quality

People can fall asleep in all sorts of places and positions, but this won’t necessarily be providing them with effective rest. Our bodies work better with regular routines, so to get the best sleep you need to be going to bed, and waking up, at the same time each day. Ideally you will be able to set aside 8 hours per day for sleeping.

It’s also important to ensure your muscles are able to relax, so providing support to all areas will mean they don’t have to be tense to hold you in position. A calm, relaxing environment is also needed. This, of course, involves ensuring you have a comfortable bed and pillows, but also means maintaining a good temperature and not sleeping in a place where there are loud noises or lights.

You should also be aware of the substances in your body, and how they can affect your sleep. Alcohol is very disruptive to your sleep cycle, so you shouldn’t be drunk within a couple of hours of going to bed- neither should you ingest caffeine, nicotine, recreational drugs, or large meals within 90 minutes of sleeping.

Why Do I Feel So Tired When I Wake Up?

This feeling, quite simply, is because you aren’t getting a good enough quality of sleep. Assuming you have gotten around 8 hours of sleep, there are a number of factors that will leave you feeling tired.

A common one these days is the use of electrical devices, like phones or e-readers, before bed. They emit blue light that affects the melatonin levels in your brain and prevents you from transitioning between the different stages of sleep properly.

If you were drinking the night before, had a large, unhealthy meal just before bed, had a coffee, or simply have been having a lot on your mind recently, then your sleep quality will be reduced, and your body and brain won’t have been able to do what they need to during your sleep.

All of these disrupt the various sleep cycles you progress through during the night and, therefore, prevent you from resting properly and result in you feeling exhausted.

How to Improve Your Sleep

Luckily, once you figure out what is causing the issue it is fairly easy to alter your behaviour to remedy the situation.

Sticking to a regular sleep pattern is the first thing to work on. Try going to bed at 11 p.m. and waking up at 7 a.m., for example, and do this every day. Your body will soon get used to this and be far more effective during the time.

Regular exercise is also helpful, and you must ensure that you are sleeping in a comfortable environment. It’s crucial that your sleep cycles aren’t interrupted, so avoid those bright lights and loud noises. If this isn’t possible, it may be worth sleeping with earplugs or a mask to help achieve it.

The Final Word

When we sleep properly we should be waking up feeling revitalized and full of energy to tackle the day ahead. It’s not always possible to get a perfect night’s sleep, though, which is the reason you will often wonder ‘why am I so tired when I wake up?’. Luckily, you can take a number of measures to improve things, and you’ll soon be back to sleeping well.

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